specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: Dealer.com
providerId: dealer-com
created: '2026-07-10'
modified: '2026-07-10'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Automotive
- Dealership
- Digital Marketing
- Partner Program
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of Dealer.com spend. Dealer.com does not bill API access as a
  usage-metered developer product; there is no public per-call rate card. Cost
  is incurred through commercial agreements - the Dealer.com Integrated Partner
  Program and the Cox Automotive Integration Platform - and through Dealer.com's
  dealer-facing products (websites, digital advertising, digital marketing),
  which are sold on enterprise contracts. For a partner, the dominant cost is
  the negotiated partner/subscription agreement plus the partner's own
  engineering to build and maintain the integration, rather than variable
  per-request API charges.
notes: >-
  Per-unit API rates are not published and cannot be reconciled here. Treat
  Dealer.com/Cox Automotive spend as contracted subscription and partnership
  fees. Confirm actual commercial terms directly with Cox Automotive.
sources:
- https://www.dealer.com/products/integrated-partner-program
- https://developer.coxautoinc.com/
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: Dealer.com (Cox Automotive)
serviceCategory: Automotive Digital Marketing and Websites
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Contract
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Purchase
  - Usage
meters:
- name: partner_agreement
  description: Contracted Integrated Partner Program or Cox Automotive Integration Platform agreement fee. Negotiated, not publicly rated.
  unit: contract
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - partner
  - program
- name: dealer_subscription
  description: Dealer-facing Dealer.com product subscriptions (website, advertising, marketing), sold on enterprise contract.
  unit: subscription
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - dealer
  - product
- name: integration_engineering
  description: Partner's own build-and-maintain cost for the integration (no Dealer.com invoice).
  unit: hours
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - partner
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track contracted partner and dealer subscription fees; there is no per-call meter to monitor since API access is not usage-billed.
- name: Allocation
  description: Attribute partner-program and platform fees to the products and dealer accounts that use the integration.
- name: Optimization
  description: Consolidate integrations under a single partner agreement where possible; scope inventory and lead feeds to needed data to reduce engineering and maintenance overhead.
- name: Accountability
  description: Assign an owner for the Cox Automotive/Dealer.com relationship who reviews contract terms and renewal against realized integration value.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com